Palestinian factions hand over weapons from largest Lebanon refugee camp

Palestinian factions began handing over weapons from Lebanon's largest refugee camp on Saturday, as part of a push by the government to disarm non-state groups.

Abdel Hadi al-Asadi, of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), said in a press release that the umbrella group conducted "the operation of delivering new batches of weapons".

Five truckloads of weapons were handed over in the Ain al-Hilweh camp, the largest in the country and located at the entrance of the southern city of Saida. Meanwhile, three truckloads were handed over from Beddawi camp in the north, near the city of Tripoli.

Israeli air strikes hit the Beddawi camp last year and killed a Hamas commander, his wife and two daughters, according to the Palestinian group.

The push to disarm Palestinian factions within the 12 refugee camps in Lebanon is viewed as part of a broader effort to reshape the country's political landscape. It follows a major setback for Hezbollah after a war with Israel last year eliminated much of its leadership, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The disarming process began in late August, with the army collecting weapons from camps around Beirut and southern Lebanon, including the Burj al-Barajneh, Mar Elias, Shatila, Rashidieh, al-Bass and Burj al-Shemali (Sour) camps.

The move stemmed from a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in May, during which they agreed that only the Lebanese state should bear arms. 

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Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad, both not part of the PLO, have not announced plans to hand over their weapons in Lebanon.

Lebanon hosts about 222,000 Palestinian refugees, according to the United Nations agency Unrwa, with many living in densely-populated camps outside of the state's control.

By longstanding convention, the Lebanese army stays out of the Palestinian camps and leaves Palestinian factions to handle security.

Hezbollah has described Lebanon's disarmament push, which came under heavy US pressure, as a "surrender" to Israel. 

Since the end of the war in late November, Hezbollah has maintained that its weapons remain essential - both to liberate the five areas Israel still occupies since the ceasefire, and to deter ongoing Israeli airspace violations, drone attacks and potential future threats.

Beirut's plan entails the complete disarmament of the border area with Israel within three months, in the first of five phases to monopolise weapons with the army.